Following last night’s loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, Cavaliers’ coach Mike Brown talked about how the up tempo offense and his defensive philosophy do not mix.  The wine and gold have regressed greatly on defense this season, allowing an average of over 100 points per game.  The most important Cav, LeBron James disagreed that the defensive lapses are caused by the offense; James said the team just needs to defend better.  I agree with the King.

The two ends of the floor are mutually exclusive.  The San Antonio Spurs, you know them, the World Champions, like to push the ball at every opportunity, but they are an excellent defensive team.  The great Celtic teams of the 1960’s were also good defensive squads that ran fast break offenses.  In fact, most coaches will tell you that a running offense starts with good defense, causing teams to miss shots, and then getting the ball of the glass and pushing it up the floor.

The problem is, as it was last year, the Cavaliers are giving playing time to guys who cannot play defense.  I understand what Damon Jones gives the team when they have the ball, but he couldn’t guard a phone booth straight up.  When you think about it, who are the wine and gold’s best defenders?  James is certainly improved from last season, but Drew Gooden can’t defend the pick and roll, Zydrunas Ilgauskas has problems with mobile big men, and Daniel Gibson is still learning.  This is where Larry Hughes and Eric Snow are missed, on the defensive end.

Off the bench, newcomer Devin Brown has a defensive mindset, and Dwayne Jones tries hard, but is physically overmatched by bigger guys.  Ira Newble is a good defender, but his minutes are inconsistent.  If Brown wants the defense to get better, he should play guys who work on that end of the floor.  Remember, the Cavs started playing better last year when their defense picked up, and that coincided with the benching of Damon Jones.  If Brown is stressing defense, then those who can’t play it, shouldn’t be playing.

Maybe it’s time to give some of the other players a chance to show they can contribute on the defensive end.  Give Snow the time Damon Jones is currently getting.  Maybe throw Shannon Brown out there to see if he can guard someone.  Anderson Varejao played the pick and roll well, and did the little things like drawing charges, etc., one losing one guy doesn’t cause any team to give up 10 more points per game.  However, losing the Wild Thing, Snow, and Hughes is causing the problem.

Again, LBJ is correct on the situation.  You can play good defense without walking the ball up the court.  The entire team has to make a commitment on that end of the floor, starting with tonight’s game against Minnesota.  There is no reason not to push the ball as much as possible when you have the best physical specimen in the NBA with LeBron James.  He can run the floor and is a mismatch for whoever is against him, especially in the open court.  If the coach wants to stress defense, he should adjust his playing rotation accordingly.  You can’t expect a poor defender to start playing like one. 

JK

It was a battle of who was worse:  The Browns’ defense against the Ravens’ offense.  And that battle was split.  In the first half, the Baltimore offense couldn’t even manage a first down.  They were that inept.  In the second half, the Cleveland defense collapsed and made Kyle Boller look like an All-Pro quarterback.  In the end, it was the Browns’ special teams that made the difference in yesterday’s 33-30 overtime win against the Ravens, which basically eliminates Baltimore from playoff contention.

 It was Ravens’ Coach Brian Billick’s stubbornness that gave the Browns the win.  He kept kicking the ball to Joshua Cribbs for no apparent reason.  After taking a 30-27 with 27 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, Cribbs took the ensuing kickoff back to around the Cleveland 40 yard line.  Therefore, the brown and orange only had to move 23 yards to get into position for Phil Dawson’s bank shot field goal to tie the game.   If that wasn’t bad enough, he repeated the mistake in overtime, and Cribbs again delivered the ball to the offense at the Browns’ 41.  Baltimore never saw the ball, and Dawson’s fourth field goal was the game winner.

The controversial call on the game tying field goal is one more reason to question NFL officials.  There was a zebra under each goal post, and they still get it wrong the first time?  What were they looking at?  If they were watching the ball, they could see it clearly went over the crossbar.  It’s exactly why the league needs replay.  CBS commentator Solomon Wilcotts also pointed out a call in the first quarter when Jamal Lewis was called for unsportsmanlike conduct, that he spiked the ball out of bounds, which is not against the rules.  I know the NBA guys take a lot of heat, but the NFL’s officials are the worst in sports overall.

And if a call like that is not reviewable under the current replay rules, why have the system?  Isn’t the purpose of the rules to get calls correct?  Unbelievable.

The offense sputtered a little bit yesterday, but they still put up 26 points against one of the league’s better defenses.  Braylon Edwards channeled his 2006 version by dropping several balls, and penalties kept Derek Anderson and his crew from sustaining anything early on.  Lewis ran with inspiration hurdling, straight arming, and running through defenders.  The Browns stayed with the running game, and talk of Lewis not having anything left in the tank appears to be premature.  Jason Wright was a nice change of pace, and Joe Jurevicius got the attack in gear with a 50-yard catch and run in the first quarter.  Even Tim Carter got into the flow with a key third down grab.

The defense is starting to put pressure on the quarterback and registered five sacks yesterday to give them nine in the last two contests after getting just seven in the first eight games.  The pressure caused Brodney Pool’s 100-yard interception return, which gave the brown and orange a seemingly safe 27-17 lead.  However, Willis McGahee ran for 100 yards, which means nine backs have reached the century mark in the ten games played.  Let’s face it; if you give up 23 points to an offense like Baltimore’s, you have problems.  Losing Eric Wright doesn’t help either.  Whether or not this team can get to the playoffs will depend if the offense can outscore its opponents.

Next week, the Texans come to Cleveland Browns Stadium in a game where the Browns can put a nail in another wild card contender’s coffin.  This team has played well at home and if they continue to do so, they will stay in the hunt for a spot in the post-season.  They have to cut down on the penalties, though.  I’m also going to bet that the game will be another shootout, since the defense cannot stop anyone.  The Kardiac Kids:  The Next Generation is the nickname for this squad.  It’s going to be a wild ride until the first weekend of January.

JD

With the Cavaliers loss in overtime at home Wednesday night to Orlando, the wine and gold dropped to 4-5 on the young season, and the worrywarts are in full angst.  The questions on whether or not this team can make the playoffs are starting.  However, it’s not time for panic.  The Cavs have played six of their nine games on the road, and they have one of their two west coast trips out of the way.  Considering the early schedule, you have to be pretty happy about the team’s start.

This team has grown up with last year’s playoff experience.  They are tougher on the road, and tougher down the stretch of close games.  Excluding the blow out loss to Denver on the last game of a six games in nine-day stretch, the wine and gold could have one the rest of the games.  They were ahead at Phoenix at the half, and lost at Utah on a buzzer beater by Deron Williams.  The first game back from a long road trip is like another road game, so I’m not surprised by the close loss to the Magic.  Really though, the Cavs could easily be 6-3 on the season.

That said, what has happened to Larry Hughes?

When GM Danny Ferry signed Hughes, I thought it was a good signing.  He played solid defense, he could make the mid range jumper, he was a complete player.  He could pass, defend, and score.  Since he arrived in Cleveland, he has missed a lot of time with injuries, although he was brittle even before the Cavaliers signed him.  What’s worse, he’s lost his shot, totally.  In the loss to the Magic, Hughes shot 2 for 12, and on at least three occasions passed the ball to an empty space.  His confidence looks completely shot, and because of his large salary, he’s pretty much untradable.

Hughes is currently shooting under 30% from the floor and is averaging just a little over 2 assists per game, which is horrible considering he initiates the offense in a half court set.  His entire game has regressed.  Now, if he shoots less than 30% for the season, which would be unbelievable.  But, his shot is flat, and he can’t make the 15 footer at this point.  He’s a liability on the offensive end at this point.  Perhaps the wine and gold would be better off if Mike Brown started Sasha Pavlovic for Hughes and let the veteran come off the bench for awhile.

Meanwhile, although we shouldn’t be surprised, LeBron James has showed his improvement already this season.  You can pick on his foul shooting if you want, but I predict he will be close to 80% before the season ends.  The King is averaging 28 points, and almost 8 rebounds and 8 assists per game.  That has to be the closest to averaging a triple double since Oscar Robertson did it in 1961-62.  Plus, he has added the blocked shot to his game.  He is undoubtedly the best player in the NBA, and he will turn just 23 years old on December 30^th.

The schedule starts to soften up after tonight’s game at The Q against the Jazz.  Four of the next six games are here, and among the opponents are the Timberwolves, the Pacers, and the Bucks.  If the wine and gold is under .500 at the end of the month, then some adjustments need to be made.  I would still feel better if Ferry would sign a veteran banger to defend.  I like the way Dwayne Jones plays, but he doesn’t have to bulk to play the Dwight Howards and Amare Stoudamires of the NBA world.

JK

Many Ohio State fans are disappointed by Saturday’s 28-21 defeat at Columbus to Illinois.  It’s time to look past that because this week it’s the renewal of college football’s greatest rivalry, Ohio State vs. Michigan.  It’s so important that HBO devoted one of its sports documentaries to it, debuting it last night.  Although I understand a little luster is off the game since both schools lost last weekend, it’s still a happening.

Even though the Buckeyes’ national championship hopes most likely went away with the loss last weekend, they still will go to the Rose Bowl with a win against the Wolverines in the Big House.  This is just another reason to hate the BCS, it has made a trip to Pasadena a disappointment.  Until this ridiculous system of deciding a national champ was enacted, going to the “Granddaddy of Them All” was the goal of every Ohio State football player.

Ohio State has had a very good season in 2007.  If at the beginning of the year, you were told the Bucks would finish the regular season 11-1 and go to the Rose Bowl, you would have accepted that.  Troy Smith and the highflying offense were gone, and OSU would have to depend on its defense to win this season.  Remember, they started the season ranked anywhere from 12^th to 15^th in the polls, so they weren’t supposed to compete for a spot in the BCS Championship Game.  But, from the middle of the season until last Saturday, that’s exactly what they were doing.

QB Todd Boeckman has taken criticism for last week’s loss and granted, he did not play well.  I even heard some talk show hosts saying it was a shame coach Jim Tressel has not developed another signal caller, because he had no alternative when Boeckman struggled.  I guess it’s what have you done for me lately with these morons.  Boeckman led the team to a 10-0 record, and the first time he plays poorly you are looking to bench him?  It’s not like the Buckeyes lost by three touchdowns, they lost by seven points.  And Boeckman wasn’t on the field when Illinois ran the last eight minutes of the game off the clock.

It’s also not like OSU lost to Minnesota or Indiana, Illinois is a very good football team.  Ron Zook and Tressel are the only coaches in the Big Ten who understand that speed wins in today’s college football, not strength.  Zook built his team in Florida on that premise, and he has followed suit with the Illini.  So Tressel and Ohio State’s biggest advantage in the league was nullified because the opponent was built similarly to the Buckeyes.

It just seems like everyone thinks Ohio State let them down instead of looking forward to another possible victory over Michigan.  This is what college football is all about:  Back to back Big Ten titles, a win over your hated rival, a chance to send Lloyd Carr into retirement with four straight losses to the scarlet and gray, A Rose Bowl berth, and a third straight BCS Bowl game.  That’s not anything to be disappointed about. 

MW

C’mon, you didn’t really think the Browns were going to go into Pittsburgh and knock off the Steelers, did you?  They did give a game effort in the 31-28 loss to the black and gold yesterday, but this is a time for optimism.  Why?  Look at the remaining games on the Browns schedule.  If the injury bug doesn’t bite too hard, there is a very good chance this team can win five of the last seven to finish 10-6.  Heck, they might win six of seven because the next week’s game at Baltimore looks winnable considering the Ravens’ struggles.

I wanted to see how the high flying Browns’ offense fared against a good defense, and in the second half Pittsburgh dared Derek Anderson to throw short passes and he wasn’t nearly as successful as he has been for much of the season.  Now, offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski and Anderson have to change some things up as well, since they will likely see the same strategy from other teams from here on out.  The Browns had receivers open on some short crossing routes, but Anderson had balls knocked down at the line, or threw behind his targets.

The game changed on Jamal Lewis’ fumble in the third quarter with the Browns leading 21-9.  It’s time to vent about something here.  I can’t stand the hold a guy up and try to strip the ball away from him play.  It’s cheap.  I know every team does it, not just the Steelers, but when you were a kid and guys did that on the playground, you would say it’s a cheap play.  In essence, Lewis was penalized for trying to get extra yardage, and that’s against the spirit of the rules.  Anyway, that fumble reversed the good momentum the Browns had built up.

The defense did some good things, mostly sacking Ben Roethlisberger four times after recording just seven sacks in the first eight games.  I couldn’t believe Willie Parker had over 100 yards rushing because outside of one long first quarter gain, I thought the Browns did a good job of controlling him.  However, the defenders couldn’t get off the field.  They allowed numerous first downs despite having Pittsburgh in several third and long situations.  Two back breakers were a 3^rd and 18 where Roethlisberger completed a 20-yard pass to Heath Miller, and a 3^rd and 9 where the big QB scrambled for ten to keep the winning drive alive.

You can’t talk about yesterday’s game without mentioning the tremendous effort of Joshua Cribbs on kickoff returns.  We’ve been touting Cribbs all year as a possible Pro Bowl performer, and he showed he deserves to be in Hawaii on Sunday.  I still don’t know how he stayed in bounds on the touchdown return in the second half, and he came three yards short of having two TD’s after getting tripped up on one in the first half.  I still would like to see the former Kent State product on offense a little bit, but he is so valuable on special teams, both as a returner and a tackler, I’m sure the staff doesn’t want to wear him out.

You can blame Romeo Crennel for wasting two timeouts following the Steelers last touchdown, but it’s obvious he was getting bad advice.  There was no reason to challenge that call.  Having a time out on the last drive could have allowed Phil Dawson to attempt his field goal a few yards closer, and that is precisely all he needed.

So it’s on to Baltimore next week to take on the Ravens.  It’s a chance for the Browns to establish themselves as the second best team in the AFC North, and to knock off another team with wild card aspirations.  If Cleveland wins, it will be very difficult for Baltimore to pass the Browns in the standings.  The Browns can’t allow themselves to have a hangover from yesterday’s loss.  The playoffs are there for the taking if they can continue to beat the teams they should beat.

The MLB General Managers Meetings were held this past week in Orlando, and Tribe GM Mark Shapiro did inquire about Marlins’ 3B Miguel Cabrera as we suggested.  Word out of the meetings is the Marlins were getting preliminary offers for the 24-year-old slugger, and will look to make the move at the Winter Meetings next month.  So, even though reports have indicated talks between the two teams have ended, don’t be surprised if they are rekindled in December.

Why?  Because Florida is looking for young talent in return, and few teams have the deep farm systems the Indians have.  There is no question in my mind that the Tribe can match or exceed any offer of young talent made by any other major league team.  And the Indians have several players who are major league ready that seemingly have no place to play in Cleveland.

Who are they?  First, let’s look at the outfield.  If we assume next year’s starters are Grady Sizemore in CF, Franklin Gutierrez in RF, and a platoon of Jason Michaels and David Dellucci in LF, then where do Shin-Soo Choo and Ben Francisco fit in?  Not to mention fading prospect Brad Snyder.  Next, let’s look at 3B.  Casey Blake is the starter, but Andy Marte doesn’t have any options remaining, so he has to be on the 25-man roster coming out of spring training.  And if you get Cabrera and plan to play him at third, that would move Blake into the already crowded outfield picture.

If the Indians are thinking about moving Cabrera to first base, then suddenly Ryan Garko is expendable.  That’s not to mention Jordan Brown and Michael Aubrey, the Tribe’s best prospects at 1B, although the latter has been injury prone.  As for pitching, although you can never have enough, Cleveland does have some guys who have yet to pitch in the big leagues that Florida might be interested in, Adam Miller and Chuck Lofgren, as well as Aaron Laffey and Jeremy Sowers.

Remember this, Cabrera will only be 25 years old next season.  He is younger than guys like Garko and Francisco, and only a year or two older than the rest.  The sticking point is he is arbitration eligible, and can be a free agent following the 2009 season.  If the Tribe deals for him, I’m sure Shapiro will want him to agree to a three or four year deal to guarantee he will wear an Indian uniform for more than two years.  It will cost the Tribe some money, but the fans have been told that is not an issue.

Shapiro has gone on record as saying he would like to add another middle of the order hitter.  You would be hard pressed to find one better than Miguel Cabrera.  Also, you would not have to gut the farm system to get him.  Besides the players I mentioned, the Indians still have Wes Hodges, Matt Whitney, Nick Weglarz, and others who are highly regarded.  This is why the front office spends a lot of cash on developing players.  It might be time to cash in some of your assets.

KM

Cavaliers’ coach Mike Brown drives everyone crazy.  He won 50 games in each of his first two games as head coach, and guided the wine and gold to the Eastern Conference Championship last year for the first time in franchise history.  Yet, he drives people nuts with his substitution patterns during the regular season.  After only four games this season, he’s doing it again.  I guess this means he’s a better playoff coach than he is guiding a team over the 82 game regular season.

The first thing that is bothering me is the extra minutes being played by Zydrunas Ilgauskas.  At 32 years old, the big man’s days of playing 33-35 minutes per game are over.  He’s best served by getting 28-30 minutes per night.  Ilgauskas is playing very well right now; averaging in double figures in both points and rebounds, but how these extra minutes will effect Z later in the season is the bigger concern.  For a team who looks to go deep in the playoffs, having your best offensive big man getting tired down the stretch isn’t a good idea.

This leads me to my real problem with Brown, his lack of use for the non-starters.  In last night’s 108-104 victory over Golden State, all five starters played over 30 minutes.  Yes, I realize Larry Hughes did not play in the contest, but the only substitute who received over 20 minutes was Damon Jones.  Sasha Pavlovic, who just joined the team on Friday, played over 30 minutes as a starter for Hughes.  It’s like the chicken and the egg, if you don’t play your bench, they won’t be able to contribute when needed.

Take Dwayne Jones, for example.  The young big man played very well against the Knicks last Friday night, and was singled out by his coach after the game.  In the next game at Phoenix on Sunday night, he didn’t get off the bench.  Why?  It’s not like he’s a plodding, slow big man who didn’t match up well against the run and gun Suns.  He should be rewarded for playing well.  Last night, he got in the game and played two minutes.  With Anderson Varajao still holding out and Donyell Marshall injured, the coaching staff has to develop another big man or Ilgauskas and Drew Gooden will be exhausted by the all star break.

On another topic, the Cavaliers need to start acting like a team who went to The Finals last year.  They are only missing Varajao from that team, and although I would like to see the Brazilian start, he’s a defender/rebounder only.  It’s not like the wine and gold is missing a player of LeBron James’ ilk.  They should expect to win each and every night, not be satisfied with a 3-3 road trip. 

Also, Larry Hughes has gotten off to a very poor start, and if he doesn’t pick it up soon, Brown will be faced with a difficult decision.  Hughes is a good defender, which is important for the head coach, but what has happened to his shot.  When he came here, he was a pretty good mid range jump shooter, but his shot has abandoned him.  If he can’t make that shot on a regular basis, he’s a liability on offense and his minutes should be cut.

Marshall’s injury should give Brown an opportunity to take a look at Jones and Cedric Simmons at the 4 and 5 spots.  This is the biggest area of need for this team with Ilgauskas getting older, yet it continues to be ignored.  The Cavaliers have to have a better defense at these spots to win in both the regular season and the playoffs.

JK

There is an old football saying that offense sells tickets, but defense wins championships.  I don’t want to rain on the parade the Cleveland Browns are throwing for their fans, but the defense is the reason it is difficult to get too excited about the brown and orange this morning.  However, the people who buy the ducats have something to look forward to each week, the tremendous show that is the offense of the Browns.  It was another week, another scintillating offense performance in Sunday’s 33-30 overtime win over the Seattle Seahawks. 

The one positive point you can make about the defense is coordinator Todd Grantham is doing a good job of making adjustments at halftime.  A week ago against the Rams, St. Louis scored 17 points in the first half and only 3 after the intermission.  Yesterday, the Seahawks put 21 first half points up on the board, and then were held to three Josh Brown field goals in the second half.  They also improved against the run, as Seattle gained just over 100 yards on the ground, but the pass defense had problems, allowing over 300 yards through the air.

The Browns’ offense has got to be a challenge for the opposition.  The Seahawks decided to concentrate on stopping Braylon Edwards, so Kellen Winslow, who caught 11 passes, burned them for 125 yards in quite possibly his best performance as a pro.  If the defense tries to take away both playmakers in the passing game, then they are susceptible to Jamal Lewis’ powerful runs.  We know the Steelers have a good defense, so it will be interesting to see how they try to stop the Browns.  It could provide a blueprint for the rest of the teams remaining on the schedule.

On a day when Lewis saw his single game rushing record bested by Vikings’ rookie Adrian Peterson, he scored four rushing touchdowns, one short of Jim Brown’s club record of five set in 1959.  He also was a factor in the passing game, grabbing four passes including one in overtime that set up Phil Dawson’s game winning field goal.  He provided the tough yards when needed, and it was great that even with all of the success the team had throwing the ball, Rob Chudzinski did not ignore the running game.

Of course, you have to give the offensive line credit as well.  Derek Anderson threw 49 times yesterday and was not sacked once.  Giving the quarterback time to throw allows the receivers to get open.  We see that against the Browns’ defense every week.  Even the best cover men can’t cover receivers forever.  Joe Thomas, Eric Steinbach, Hank Fraley, Sean McKinney, and Ryan Tucker/Kevin Shaffer can’t get enough credit for the turn around off the offense.  And don’t discount Anderson’s ability to get rid of the ball on time as well.

There is no question the Cleveland Browns are in the playoff hunt.  However, the next two games should tell the story.  Coming up are tough road games against the Steelers and Ravens.  I think the Browns are a vastly different team than the one who lost the opener to Pittsburgh.  But, can they slow down the Steeler running game at all?  If they can, they have a chance to go into Heinz Field and pull the upset.  I have confidence that the Browns will score more than the lone touchdown they got on September 9^th.

JD

The Cleveland Indians of 2007 likely fell one game short of a World Championship.  With all due respect to the Colorado Rockies, the winner of the American League Championship Series was going to win the title.  So, going to the seventh game against Boston means the Tribe was this close to ending their title drought, which has now been stretched to 60 years since the 1948 World Champs.  With the disappointment almost two weeks removed, it’s time to start looking at what this team needs to do to get better next season.

Remember the Indians were one of the youngest teams to make the post-season since divisional play started in 1969.  It is very likely that much of the improvement needed will come from young players still developing their talent.  Guys like Ryan Garko, Franklin Gutierrez, Grady Sizemore, and Jhonny Peralta should still be on an upswing in terms of their careers, while Victor Martinez is in his prime.  I would think Travis Hafner would have a better year in ’08, although he will probably never approach his 2005-06 seasons.  But, I think a .280, 35 HR, 110 RBI is very possible. 

The biggest need continues to be a professional hitter, one that is not prone to strikeouts.  The Indians ranked 2^nd in the AL in whiffing this season, and these strikeouts are a reason for the streakiness of the offense.  Sizemore, in particular, fans way too much.  Derek Shelton needs to work with the centerfielder on making better contact, and also using the entire field more often.  Imagine what a force Sizemore would be if he cut down his strikeouts by 50, and raised his average to the .290-.300 range.  His on base percentage is already very good for a lead off hitter, but he could raise his RBI total by taking the ball the other way more often and by making more contact.

There is a young, professional hitter who can be had in a trade, the Marlins’ Miguel Cabrera.  Cabrera will be 25 years old in April, and has already hit 138 home runs in his career with a .313 lifetime batting average.  He has knocked in at least 112 runs in each of the last four seasons.  He is comparable to a young Manny Ramirez.  He plays 3B, and had a weight problem last season, but the dude can flat out hit.  Since the Indians have a little better organization than the Marlins (where the inmates run the asylum), my guess is the Tribe can help him stay in shape.  He also cannot be a free agent until after the 2009 season.  Adding Cabrera would improve the attack greatly, and it is said Florida is looking for three good prospects in exchange.  This is where the Tribe’s bountiful farm system comes in.  Think about a package which would include an Adam Miller, Andy Marte, and Gutierrez or Ben Francisco, the Indians have the ingredients to make such a deal work.

On the pitching side, I’m concerned about the workload carried by C.C. Sabathia and Fausto Carmona, and how it will affect their performance next season.  Sometimes, the extra innings pitched by the two 19 game winners have a cumulative effect.  However, if Miller isn’t traded, the Indians still have eight pitchers competing for five starting rotation spots.  The eight would include Cliff Lee, who needs to bounce back from a poor 2007 season, Paul Byrd, who has a club option, which the Indians would like pick up, and Aaron Laffey, who did a good job down the stretch this season, and Jeremy Sowers.  It doesn’t count prospects Chuck Lofgren and

Scott Lewis.

Mark Shapiro will continue to look at options for the bullpen, since he regards (and I agree) this is the most volatile part of any team from year to year.  You can’t count on Rafael Betancourt to have the same type of year next year, and who knows what Joe Borowski will give the ballclub.  Look for the Tribe to look at more low cost, possible high reward options for the relief corps.  Otherwise, the foundation of the bullpen will be Borowski, Betancourt, Rafael Perez, and Jensen Lewis.  I’m sure there will be an addition in this area.

Overall, there is no reason this team cannot compete for another division title.  The young nucleus is there.  There is depth in the farm system.  Injuries are always a factor, but the Tribe has done a good job over the years in keeping its pitching arms in good shape.  Getting a big bat like Cabrera could be the determining factor as to whether the Cleveland Indians will stay among the American League’s elite teams.  If they don’t swing such a deal, they will still be contenders to make the post season again.  The Tribe and the Red Sox are probably the only AL teams who could stand pat and still contend.

MW